Royal watchers always delight in seeing members of the royal family in their gorgeous horse-drawn carriages during special royal events, but there’s a tradition that even die-hard fans might not be aware of. Royal women always ride in the rear of the carriage, and there’s a meaningful reason behind why they sit that way. Of course, with every rule there are exceptions.
Why Do Royal Women Ride In The Rear?
As the world begins to emerge after dealing with the still ongoing coronavirus pandemic, one of the biggest changes has been in the British royal family. For the last two years, the royals scaled back their public appearances and relied largely on video calls as they, like so many others, tried to avoid coming down with the virus.
This year, however, many of the beloved annual events that royal watchers look forward to time and again have been in full swing. One of those events, the Royal Ascot, features a moment where the royal family arrives in a horse-drawn carriage. As a matter of tradition, royal women typically sit in the rear of the carriage while their male counterparts sit opposite. The reason for this is quite simple, actually.
Royal watchers may have noticed that oftentimes, the ladies were all in forward-facing seats in their carriage and there’s a very simple reason: the back seats have a better view of the crowds and the racecourse as they enter the enclosure. They also tend to be photographed more clearly.
Though the men are also duly photographed, their outfits tend to be the same gray suits so there’s just not as much interest in what the gentlemen have on. As their outfits are often a highlight of any event, it makes sense to place the womenfolk somewhere where they’re easily visible. What happens when non-royals ride alongside royalty? Of course those tricky British hierarchies are already planned for.
The Queen Reigns Supreme
Queen Elizabeth, as the ruling monarch, gets first dibs on the seats, as she’s generally the first face the public and photographers want to see. Her family comes next after her, with non-royalty filtering in after that. Whatever the case, the queen plays second fiddle to no one.
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